Agriculture: Common Agricultural Policy

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord De Mauley on 22 January (WS 68), whether the computer system introduced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to manage funding under the Common Agricultural Policy is being developed in-house; and, if not, to whom the contract has been awarded.

Lord De Mauley: The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Delivery programme, working closely with Cabinet Office Government Digital Services (CO/GDS) has elected to become the systems integrator responsible for developing and implementing the new solution to support CAP. This will include managing a number of external commercial suppliers which are being procured through a variety of different procurement routes.
	The first award has been for the critical role of application development partner, which will work with the programme as systems integrator, in shaping the whole solution. Using the government procurement service (GPS) framework Sprint(ii), Specialist Computer Centre (SCC) was selected to provide the services needed by the CAP Delivery Programme for the build of the core IT system. SCC undertook its own competition to appoint a primary sub-contractor and following their evaluation selected Kainos.

Alcohol

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings were held by officials of HM Treasury with (1) the Royal College of Physicians, (2) the Institute of Alcohol Studies, (3) Alcohol Concern, (4) the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, (5) the Scotch Whisky Association, (6) the British Beer & Pub Association, (7) the Portman Group, (8) Drinkaware, and (9) any individual drinks company, over the past six months.

Lord Deighton: Officials engage with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with the previous Administration, it is not the Government's policy to disclose the details of these meetings.

Banking: Quantitative Easing

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of current gross domestic product is now represented by assets purchased by the Bank of England as part of the quantitative easing programme; how that compares with the equivalent figures for (1) the European Union, and (2) the United States; and whether they have set levels beyond which quantitative easing should not go in the United Kingdom (a) by that metric, or (b) as a percentage of outstanding gilt-edged securities within the maturity bands selected by the Bank of England.

Lord Deighton: The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) macroeconomic policy tools, including quantitative easing (QE), are designed to affect the economy as a whole, in order to meet the 2% inflation target over the medium term. The MPC makes decisions on monetary policy, including the scale of QE conducted through the Asset Purchase Facility (APF) based on its independent judgment of the balance of risks to inflation in the medium term.
	The arrangements for QE asset purchases through the APF were set out in the then Chancellor's letter to the Governor of the Bank of England on 3 March 2009. The Chancellor authorises the ceiling on total asset purchases by the APF given the indemnity the Treasury provides for the facility.
	The stock of asset purchases under the Bank of England's QE programme, worth £375 billion, represents 25% of current Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The scale of quantitative easing by other central banks such as the US Federal Reserve can be found in Table 3.A in the Government's Review of the Monetary Policy Framework1 published at Budget 2013, while the size of major central bank balance sheets as a percentage of GDP can be found in Chart 3.A. A copy of the report is available in the Library of the House.
	As outlined in the Market Notice of 7 March 2013 and the Consolidated Market Notice on Asset Purchase Facility (APF) gilt purchases, the APF will currently not purchase a gilt if it holds more than 70% of the free float of that gilt. Both the Market Notice and the Consolidated Market Notice can be found on the bank's website2.
	The free float is the total amount of a gilt in issue minus government holdings of that gilt. This limit was chosen with the aim of ensuring the APF's gilt ownership does not place undue pressure on specific gilts.
	1 http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ukeconmonpolicy_framework .pdf
	2 http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Documents/market notice130307.pdf and http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/ Documents/marketnotice120301con.pdf

Banks: Funding for Lending Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Funding for Lending Scheme on interest rates paid to bank depositors and pensioners.

Lord Deighton: The recent decline in interest rates paid on bank deposits partly reflects the policies taken by the European Central Bank and the Bank of England to calm financial markets. It also reflects the overall lower funding requirement of banks as they readjust their balance sheets in the wake of the financial crisis. The Funding for Lending Scheme is a temporary intervention and will not have a long term impact on deposit rates.

Banks: Funding for Lending Scheme

Lord Barnett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have received, if any, that some lenders of the Funding for Lending Scheme have higher charges than the starting headline rate of 0.25%.

Lord Deighton: As set out in the market notice for the Funding for Lending Scheme, the fee will be determined at the end of the reference period, running from 30 June 2012 to 31 December 2013, based on net lending over that period.
	The market notice is available on the Bank of England website1.
	1 http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Documents/ marketnotice120713.pdf

Badgers

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether as part of any badger cull they plan to conduct research in the affected areas, and in suitable control areas, on the effects of the cull on invertebrate and vertebrate populations, in particular bumble-bees and hedgehogs.

Lord De Mauley: Badgers are an important predator of hedgehogs and both species eat similar invertebrates, such as earthworms and beetles. The Defra-funded research project ZF0531: Ecological consequences of removing badgers from an ecosystem, assessed the consequences of removing badgers from an ecosystem using information collected as part of the randomised badger culling trial. It found that the hedgehog population density increased by more than 100% in the proactive cull areas, in comparison to the no-cull control areas where they experienced a slight decline. This effect was limited to amenity grassland areas in and near villages. It can be concluded that the removal of badgers from an ecosystem, could result in a significant increase in hedgehog abundance. The same study also observed an increase in the fox population within the proactive cull areas.
	Defra has not funded any research in to any link between badger populations and declining bee populations.

Big Society

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the initiatives, projects, and programmes currently in place which have the specific purpose of creating, enhancing and supporting the Big Society.

Baroness Hanham: Big Society is about putting more power into people's hands by transferring it from Whitehall to local communities. Through programmes like the National Citizen Service, Community Organisers, Community First, the Investment and Contract Readiness Fund, the Tenant Empowerment Fund and the work of Big Society Capital the Government have put in place a broad offer to help create new and enhance existing opportunities for communities to build the Big Society in their neighbourhoods.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government is putting power in the hands of citizens through new community rights such as the Right to Bid, the Right to Challenge, the Right to Build, Neighbourhood Planning and Neighbourhood Community Budgets. These support communities who want to achieve specific aims, such as buying a local community facility, taking control of a local service or shaping their area.
	Government recognise some local authorities and communities may want help to use the new rights and DCLG are providing over £60 million of support. This is part of a wider offer across government which includes £280 million from the National Citizen Service, £26 million from Community Organisers and £80 million from Community First.

Children: Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The UK signed the Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in May 2008. Officials are leading the work to establish the steps that would be required to ratify and implement the convention. Ratification is not a straightforward process and this work needs to be further progressed before any further decisions can be made.

Children: Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 19 March (WA 131), what are the problems involved with ratifying and implementing the European Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation, signed by the United Kingdom in May 2008.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Before ratification of any convention it is important to establish what legal, administrative and practical arrangements may be needed to ensure full compliance with provisions within the convention. Officials are currently leading the work to establish the steps that would be required to ratify and implement the Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation. Ratification is not a straightforward process and this work needs to be further progressed before any further decisions can be made, including in relation to timescales.

Children: Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy towards the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children Against Exploitation and Sexual Abuse; and what arrangements they are making for the implementation of its provisions within the United Kingdom.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The UK signed the Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in May 2008.
	Child protection is an absolute priority for this Government. Officials are currently leading the work to establish the steps that would be required to ratify and implement the convention. Ratification is not a straightforward process and this work needs to be further progressed before any further decisions can be made.

Cities: Economic Development

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the extension of the City Deal scheme to counties and other wider areas in City Deal Phase 2, they intend to rename the scheme.

Baroness Hanham: We have no plans to rename this programme. Wave 2 City Deals continue to focus on cities and their surrounding functional economic areas as key drivers of national growth because:
	62% of jobs are located in cities and 63% of economic output;cities have over 55% of the country's businesses; andwhen their surrounding areas are also considered, this rises to 78% of England's jobs and 85% of total output.
	Although City Deals are not the solution everywhere this Government recognise the importance of effective devolution because we believe that local leaders are best placed to act in the interests of their local areas.
	We have a strong record of commitment to a localist agenda and working with authorities to provide the powers and support they need. We are already giving local authorities much greater control over their own budgets. An estimated 70% of income will be raised locally, compared to 56% under the current formula grant system. From next April councils will retain nearly £11 billion of business rates.
	In our response to Lord Heseltine's recent review we have made clear our intention to go beyond City Deals and in the run-up to 2015 introduce Local Growth Deals with all local enterprise partnerships, through which they can compete for new levers, resources (through the single local growth fund) and flexibility. We are also setting up a new Public Service Transformation Network to support places to redesign their local public services by spreading innovation from the Whole Place Community Budgets pilots.

Courts and Tribunal Service: Special Educational Needs

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, of the cases brought before HM Courts and Tribunals Service in the past five years, how many were (1) appeals against decisions of local authorities about children with special educational needs, and (2) claims against (a) schools and (b) local authorities where there has been disability discrimination in a child's education; and of such cases, how many (1) appellants in the former, and (2) claimants in the latter categories, appealed the decisions.

Lord McNally: HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) administers appeals to the First-tier Tribunal Special Educational Needs and Disability (FtT SEND). Statistics regarding the FtT SEND are reported against each academic year. The table below shows the total number of appeals received by HMCTS for the past five academic years in relation to:
	appeals against decisions of local authorities about children with special educational needs; andappeals in which there has been a claim of disability discrimination in a child's education,
	
		
			 Appeals and Claims to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Special Educational Needs appeals 3,400 3,000 3,300 3,600 3,600 
			 Disability Discrimination claims 150 100 74 110 98 
		
	
	Source-data for 2009-10 to 2011-12-Quarterly statistics for the Tribunals 2nd quarter 2012-13
	Source-data for 2007-08 to 2008-09-First Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination) Annual report 2008-09
	The FtT SEND does not distinguish between appeals against decisions made by local authorities or schools. The table above provides the total number of appeals where there has been a claim of disability discrimination in a child's education.
	It is not possible to provide figures, as requested, in relation to how many (1) appellants against decisions of local authorities about children with special educational needs, and (2) claimants in disability discrimination claims, appeal a decision of the FtT SEND. Appeals from the FtT SEND are made to the Upper Tribunal, which does not record appeals received by different case types. The Upper Tribunal registers appeals as FtT SEND cases therefore the table provided below includes appeals against a decision of FtT SEND regardless of whether the appeal is made by a parent or local authority.
	
		
			 Appeals to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) from decisions of the First tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Special Educational Needs & Disability Discrimination Claims 20 1 26 38 16

Economy

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress was made in 2012 in rebalancing the economy in favour of manufacturing, investment and exports rather than consumption and the public sector.

Lord Deighton: As noted in Budget 2013, the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) forecast shows the UK economy rebalancing over the forecast period. Having grown strongly in 2012, business investment is forecast to pick up again in 2014 and make an increasing contribution to GDP growth thereafter, rising to nearly 1 percentage point by 2017. After falling in 2012, UK exports are also expected to pick up and net trade is forecast to make a small positive contribution to growth from 2013. Household consumption is forecast to grow more slowly than GDP on average, with the saving ratio declining but remaining at 5% or above throughout.
	The OBR's analysis of the economy's performance since early 2010 was set out in the October 2012 Forecast Evaluation Report1. In terms of GDP growth, three sources of private spending accounted in roughly equal measure for the shortfall in GDP relative to the OBR's June Budget 2010 forecast, with lower:
	private consumption, as unexpected inflation reduced the real value of nominal spending; private investment, which the OBR concluded was most likely due to the confidence shocks and uncertainty arising from the euro area crisis; andnet trade, as external demand faltered, particularly during 2012, with the euro area falling back into recession.
	1 http://budgetresponsibilityindependent. gov.uk/forecast-evaluation-report-october-2012/

Economy

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce living costs.

Lord Deighton: The Government are taking action to support households with their living costs. The Personal Allowance will increase to £10,000, a year ahead of schedule to support hard working individuals. Fuel duty has been frozen for 24 months and the Government have cancelled the increase planned for September. The Government have also announced a third council tax freeze, as well as a two-year reduction in the rail fare cap.

Equality Act 2010

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the question and answer forms made under Section 138 of the Equality Act 2010 may be used as a model by statutory and voluntary organisations in assisting potential claimants under that Act.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The Government are seeking to repeal Section 138 of the Equality Act 2010 through the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill currently before Parliament. The effect of the repeal will not prevent anyone wishing to seek information about alleged discriminatory conduct from continuing to do so in any format they choose.
	The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) will produce guidance on how information may best be sought and how employers can respond to such requests.
	The guidance will be scrutinised by a group of stakeholders including the CB Trade Union Congress, British chamber of Commerce and the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Eritrea

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, in 2012 regarding people smuggling and trafficking of Eritreans.

Baroness Warsi: We are not aware of the report to which the noble Lord refers. However, we are monitoring various reports on this serious and growing problem, including UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR)'s recent research paper Refugees and the Rashaida: Human Smuggling and Trafficking from Eritrea to Sudan and Egypt.
	We continue to raise our concerns about human trafficking within the Sinai with the Egyptian and Israeli authorities and have discussed this with the Office of the UNHCR. We have also met senior representatives of the Eritrean Government and urged them to bring to justice any Eritreans involved in trafficking and to facilitate access to border areas for international organisations. In addition, we have offered practical support to Eritrea's anti-human trafficking and victim protection efforts.

Finance: Early and Prompt Payment Schemes

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding early payment schemes as opposed to prompt payment schemes.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government's view is that all businesses should agree fair payment terms at the outset of a contract, and should pay their suppliers on time according to the agreed terms.
	The Government are supportive of early payment schemes which offer suppliers the opportunity to take payment early in return for a discount or fee, as long as they are offered in conjunction with fair payment terms rather than as a substitute.

Finance: Early and Prompt Payment Schemes

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on gross domestic product of any improvement in cash-flow from (1) prompt payment, and (2) early payment, schemes.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Cash flow difficulties arising from late payment affect the viability of many small and medium-sized businesses and as such would have a negative impact on GDP, although data are not available to quantify this.
	Recent research by Experian indicates that the average amount of time businesses are taking to settle invoices is falling, from 25.7 days after agreed terms in 2011 to 24.7 days in 2012. This is positive for the economy, but there is still scope for considerable improvement.

Finance: Gilts

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Bank of England has set concentration limits on the maximum percentage of any maturity band or individual gilt that it can buy under quantitative easing; and, if so, how such limits were established.

Lord Deighton: As outlined in the Market Notice of 7 March 2013 and the Consolidated Market Notice on Asset Purchase Facility (APF) gilt purchases, the APF will currently not purchase a gilt if it holds more than 70% of the free float of that gilt. The free float is the total amount of a gilt in issue minus government holdings of that gilt. This limit was chosen with the aim of ensuring the APF's gilt ownership does not place undue pressure on specific gilts.
	Both the Market Notice and the Consolidated Market Notice can be found on the Bank's website1.
	1 http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Documents/market noticel30307.pdf and http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Documents/marketnotice120301con.pdf.

Finance: Loans

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to take any action further to promote the re-opening of the collateralised loan obligation market.

Lord Deighton: The Government recognise that securitisation can be an important source of funding for banks and non-bank lenders. The Treasury continues to actively engage with the UK securitisation industry to support recovery in the securitisation market.

Fire and Rescue Service

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hanham on 26 February (WA 293), whether they will now provide their assessment of the impact of spending reductions on the number of firefighter posts.

Baroness Hanham: These are matters for each fire and rescue authority which must produce regularly, and consult on, an integrated risk management plan. The plan must identify the risks facing local communities and detail how the fire and rescue authority will allocate its resources to mitigate them effectively.
	All parts of the public sector have to play a part in reducing the deficit inherited from the last Administration and we are aware that fire and rescue authorities are reviewing their services to increase efficiency. To support this, Sir Ken Knight has been appointed to carry out a review to support operational delivery. Sir Ken will be providing his report on the review in due course.

Forced Marriage

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Governments of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan about measures to combat British citizens being taken to those countries and forced into marriage against their will.

Baroness Warsi: We enjoy a good working relationship with local authorities in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh on implementing our strategy for tackling forced marriage, and we co-operate closely in providing assistance to British victims in those countries. At ministerial level, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), has raised the issue of forced marriage with the Pakistani High Commissioner in London. The issue has also been raised recently at senior official level, by the director of consular services at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office during visit to Bangladesh in July 2012. We keep the subject under close review as part of planning for forthcoming ministerial conversations with their counterparts in these countries.
	The Forced Marriage Unit has also established an International Partnership Board which is aimed at sharing the UK approach to tackling forced marriage with other London missions.

Housing Benefit

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial assistance with removal costs will be available to recipients of housing benefit who move owing to the introduction of the under-occupancy charge.

Lord Freud: If people wish to continue to live in social housing that is larger than they need, they must make realistic choices about how they will meet the shortfall in rent.
	These may include meeting the shortfall from other income, savings, family members, by moving into work, increasing working hours, or by letting out a spare room to a lodger.
	Our impact assessment includes a range of modelling on how people will respond. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf.
	However, for people who do choose to move, they could apply for additional help with their removal costs by way of a discretionary housing payment. It is for local authorities to administer discretionary housing payments.

Inflation

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 4 March (WA 369), what is the difference between the current aggregate price level and the level that would have been achieved if the Monetary Policy Committee had met the 2% inflation target; and whether they will ensure that the answer is published in the Official Report.

Lord Deighton: The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy in order to meet the 2% inflation target, as measured by the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), in the medium term. The remit recognises that, on occasions, the actual inflation rate will depart from its target as a result of shocks and disturbances. The remit allows the MPC to look through short-term movements in inflation.
	The independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for producing and publishing inflation data, which can be found on its website1. Data relating to the aggregate price level is presented below in Table 2 of the ONS Statistical Bulletin "Consumer Prices Indices February 2013".
	
		
			 CPI, CPIH, RPI and RPIJ indices: the latest three years 2 
			  Consumer Prices Index (CPI)1  Consumer Prices Index Housing (CPIH) 3  Retail Prices Index (RPI) NOT NATIONAL STATISTICS 4  Retail prices index Jevons (RPIJ)3  
			  Index (2005=100) Percentage change over 12 months Index (2005=100) Percentage change over 12 months Index (Jan 13, 1997=100) Percentage change over 12 months Index (1997=100) Percentage change over 12 months 
			  D7BT D7G7 L522 L550 CHAW CZBH KVR8 KVR9 
			 Feb 2010 112.9 3.0 112.0 2.5 219.2 3.7 209.1 3.2 
			 Mar 113.5 3.4 112.6 2.9 220.7 4.4 210.4 4.0 
			 Apr 114.2 3.7 113.1 3.2 222.8 5.3 212.2 4.8 
			 May 114.4 3.4 113.4 2.9 223.6 5.1 212.9 4.5 
			 Jun 114.6 3.2 113.5 2.8 224.1 5.0 213.2 4.4 
			 Jul 114.3 3.1 113.3 2.6 223.6 4.8 212.7 4.2 
			 Aug 114.9 3.1 113.8 2.7 224.5 4.7 213.5 4.0 
			 Sep 114.9 3.1 113.8 2.7 225.3 4.6 214.1 4.0 
			 Oct 115.2 3.2 114.1 2.8 225.8 4.5 214.6 3.9 
			 Nov 115.6 3.3 114.5 2.9 226.8 4.7 215.5 4.0 
			 Dec 116.8 3.7 115.5 3.3 228.4 4.8 216.9 4.1 
			 Jan 2011 116.9 4.0 115.6 3.5 229.0 5.1 217.6 4.5 
			 Feb 117.8 4.4 116.4 3.9 231.3 5.5 219.1 4.8 
			 Mar 118.1 4.0 116.7 3.6 232.5 5.3 220.0 4.6 
			 Apr 119.3 4.5 117.7 4.0 234.4 5.2 221.7 4.5 
			 May 119.5 4.5 117.9 4.0 235.2 5.2 222.4 4.5 
			 Jun 119.4 4.2 117.9 3.8 235.2 5.0 222.3 4.3 
			 Jul 119.4 4.4 117.9 4.0 234.7 5.0 221.8 4.3 
			 Aug 120.1 4.5 118.5 4.1 236.1 5.2 223.0 4.4 
			 Sep 120.9 5.2 119.2 4.7 237.9 5.6 224.6 4.9 
			 Oct 121.0 5.0 119.3 4.6 238.0 5.4 224.6 4.7 
			 Nov 121.2 4.8 119.5 4.4 238.5 5.2 225.1 4.5 
			 Dec 121.7 4.2 120.0 3.9 239.4 4.8 225.9 4.1 
			 Jan 2012 121.1 3.6 119.5 3.4 238.0 3.9 224.6 3.2 
			 Feb 121.8 3.4 120.1 3.2 239.9 3.7 225.8 3.1 
			 Mar 122.2 3.5 120.5 3.3 240.8 3.6 226.5 3.0 
			 Apr 122.9 3.0 121.1 2.9 242.5 3.5 227.9 2.8 
			 May 122.8 2.8 121.1 2.6 242.4 3.1 227.8 2.4 
			 Jun 122.3 2.4 120.6 2.4 241.8 2.8 227.1 2.2 
			 Jul 122.5 2.6 120.8 2.5 242.1 3.2 227.4 2.5 
			 Aug 123.1 2.5 121.3 2.4 243.0 2.9 228.2 2.3 
			 Sep 123.5 2.2 121.7 2.1 244.2 2.6 229.2 2.0 
			 Oct 124.2 2.7 122.3 2.5 245.6 3.2 230.5 2.6 
			 Nov 124.4 2.7 122.5 2.5 245.6 3.0 230.5 2.4 
			 Dec 125.0 2.7 123.0 2.5 246.8 3.1 231.5 2.5 
			 Jan 124.4 2.7 122.5 2.5 245.8 3.3 230.6 2.7 
			 Feb 2013 125.2 2.8 123.2 2.6 247.6 3.2 231.7 2.6 
		
	
	1 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/cpi/consumer-price-indices/february -2013/stb---consumer-price-indices--- february-2013.html

Insurance: Fraud

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle car insurance fraud by criminal gangs.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In January 2012, the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, a new specialist police unit dedicated to tackling insurance fraud, was established. The unit is based at the City of London Police's Economic Crime Directorate, and is committed to working with the insurance industry to tackle established criminality, including car insurance fraud. Police forces also work closely with the Insurance Fraud Bureau on detecting and preventing organised and cross-industry insurance fraud.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Israel concerning Israeli military action within the Al Aqsa mosque compound on 8 March.

Baroness Warsi: We are aware of clashes near and at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on 8 March, as Israeli police officers entered the compound. We have not discussed these specific incidents with the Israeli authorities although our views on Jerusalem, both respect for the holy sites and the need for Jerusalem to act as a future capital for two states, are well known.

Met Office

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information the Met Office has on the trends in the lengths of blocking periods in synoptic weather conditions over north-west Europe; and to what extent that trend indicates longer periods of (1) cold and hot weather, (2) high and low wind conditions, and (3) unusually dry and wet conditions.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: I have asked the Chief Executive Officer of the Met Office to respond direct to the noble Lord.
	Letter from John Hirst, Chief Executive of the Met Office, to Lord Hunt, dated March 2013
	I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 12 March 2013, HL6206 to Her Majesty's Government.
	Long lasting and slow moving areas of high pressure are a common feature of meteorology. These act to effectively "block" or redirect migratory low pressure systems; hence they are often known as blocking highs. These blocks can remain in place for several days or even weeks, causing the areas affected by them to have the same kind of weather for an extended period of time. In winter blocking patterns are linked to cold, dry and calm conditions over northern Europe, whereas blocking patterns in summer are associated with heat wave conditions with little wind and if prolonged can cause drought. By implication the impacts of blocking in spring and autumn tend to be less severe.
	The Met Office has analysed historical climate records for trends in the number of blocked days per season and consecutive periods of blocked days using a variety of methods and diagnostics. Historical records show the length of blocking periods is related to the number of blocked days in a season.
	We have studied UK-wide single and consecutive cold and calm days in the winter half-year between October and March from 1871 to the present. While there is large variability in the record we experienced less blocking in the late twentieth century when compared to the late nineteenth century for example. However, there was a relatively high occurrence of blocking during recent winters such as 2009 and 2010 although not as frequent as those periods recorded during the late 19th century.
	We have also analysed the frequency of blocking by season for north-west Europe over the period for which satellite records contribute and strengthen the reliability of observations (1979 onwards). This more recent record again shows there is a high level of variability in the frequency of blocking from year to year resulting in no statistically significant trends in blocking frequency found for any season over this period. Nevertheless, blocking in winter has become more common since 2000. While similar short term trends have occurred in the past, some lines of research suggest that this recent increase in blocking could be in response to rapid Arctic sea ice decline. However it is not clear whether this is the dominant factor in recent trends and the research community has yet to reach a consensus on the role of declining sea ice in the context of other climate change. The Met Office, along with international colleagues, is currently investigating this possibility.
	I hope this helps.

Northern Ireland Executive: Legislation

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many requests have been made since 1998 to the Northern Ireland Executive as to whether it wished to seek a legislative consent Motion for the extension of provisions in a Westminster Bill to Northern Ireland; what were the Bills and provisions; and what was the answer in each case.

Baroness Randerson: Whitehall departments have many discussions with Northern Ireland departments about the benefit of extending legislation to Northern Ireland. No central records are kept by the Northern Ireland Office of requests to the NI Executive as to whether they wish to seek a legislative consent Motion (LCM) for the extension of provisions in Westminster Bills to Northern Ireland.
	Forty-seven LCMs have been passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly since 1998, of which 10 have been passed since 28 May 2012. Details of the Motions have been placed in the Library of the House.

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they permit the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland to engage consultants and companies to conduct public attitude or opinion surveys; and if so, how much the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland has spent on such consultants and companies in the past three financial years.

Baroness Randerson: The Parades Commission for Northern Ireland is a non-departmental public body and operates independently of Government.
	Under the terms of the framework document, dated 2009, between the Northern Ireland Office and the Parades Commission, the Secretary of the Commission has been designated the accounting officer and as such has delegated budgetary authority to engage consultants without prior approval from the NIO. This framework document is currently under review.
	As spend in relation to consultancy work is an operational matter for the commission, the noble Lord may wish to write to them directly on this matter.

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have agreed a budget with the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland that includes provision for funds to be spent on consultants and companies that conduct public attitude or opinion surveys.

Baroness Randerson: Details of the funding received by the Parades Commission in each financial year since its creation can he found in the Commission's annual report and accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House or on the commission's website, www.paradescommission.org.
	Under the terms of the framework document, dated 2009, between the Northern Ireland Office and the Parades Commission, the Secretary of the Commission has been designated the accounting officer of the commission and holds delegated authority to spend within the limits of the agreed annual budget subject to the programme of work being consistent with its statutory functions. This framework document is currently under review.

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland has engaged consultants to conduct political opinion polls in Northern Ireland; when and for what purpose any such polls were undertaken; and what level of expenditure was incurred.

Baroness Randerson: The Parades Commission for Northern Ireland in a non-departmental public body and operates independently of Government.
	Under the terms of the framework document, dated 2009, between the Northern Ireland Office and the Parades Commission, the Secretary of the Commission has been designated the accounting officer and as such has delegated budgetary authority to engage consultants to conduct political opinion polls in Northern Ireland. This framework document is currently under review.
	The level of expenditure which may have been incurred on such work is an operational matter for the commission. The noble Lord may therefore wish to write to them directly on this matter.

Northern Ireland Parades Commission

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they agreed to the appearance, and interview of, a member of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland at a political party conference earlier this year.

Baroness Randerson: The Parades Commission for Northern Ireland in a non-departmental public body and operates independently of Government.
	There is no requirement for members of the Parades Commission to notify the Northern Ireland Office in advance of appearing at, or giving an interview during, political party conferences if the member is attending in an official capacity on behalf of the commission.

Prisons: Media Access

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent guidance has been given to prison governors about media access to prisons in the light of experience following the recent television programme filmed inside HMP Aylesbury.

Lord McNally: Approaches from the media to access and record material in prisons are first considered by officials of the department's Communications Unit and Headquarters of the National Offender Management Service before being considered by Ministers.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for using European Union convergence funds to upgrade rolling stock on train services to areas of the United Kingdom in receipt of such funds; and, in particular, what assessment they have made of the impact of such a policy on tourism in Cornwall.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: In the UK, Cornwall, West Wales and the Valleys, and Highlands and Islands receive European Union convergence funds as part of the 2007-13 funding programme.
	Mobile rail assets were not included as an eligible area of expenditure during the negotiation process to agree the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly convergence operational programme strategy. Mobile rail assets are not recognised by the EC as directly delivering the aspirations of the Lisbon agenda, and delivery of Lisbon agenda objectives was considered by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly convergence partnership as key to delivery of a high value-added economy with sustainable economic growth.
	The upgrade of rolling stock does not fall within the scope of the convergence operational programme and therefore no assessment has been made of the use of convergence funds to upgrade rolling stock.
	The department understands that no activity of this type has been funded through the Highlands and Islands or West Wales and the Valleys convergence programmes.
	The department is not aware of any assessment that has been made of the impact of such a policy on tourism in Cornwall at the UK level.

Rape

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecutions for rape were brought in (1) England and Wales, and (2) London, in each of the past six years for which figures are available; and how many prosecutions resulted in convictions in each year.

Lord McNally: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts of rape, in England and Wales and in the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas, from 2006 to 2011 (the latest available), can be viewed in the table below.
	
		
			 Table 1-Defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for rape, England and Wales and for police force areas within London, 2006-11(1)(2)(3) 
			  2006  2007  2008(4)  2009  2010  2011  
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 England and Wales 2,567 863 2,363 873 2,395 922 2,797 997 3,071 1,058 2,873 1,153 
			 of which 
			 London(5) 589 151 557 156 567 173 605 179 552 219 469 181 
		
	
	(1) Defendants proceeded against in one year may not have their final "case outcome" (ie found guilty or acquitted) in the same year, or defendants could be found guilty of a different offence to that for which they were originally proceeded against.
	(2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
	(4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates' court for April, July and August 2008.
	(5) Includes City of London and Metropolitan police force areas.
	Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services (Ref: PQ HL 6278)

Russia

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions, and at what level, they have had with the Government of Russia on the situation in the North Caucasus and its implications for global security; and what was the outcome.

Baroness Warsi: We remain deeply concerned about grave human rights violations in the North Caucasus region. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Russia with Foreign Minister Lavrov in London on 13 March, as did the Minister for Europe, my right honourable friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), during his meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Titov in Moscow in February.
	We have raised specific concerns around the North Caucasus at Director-level, including at the 2012 UK- Russia Human Rights Dialogue, where it was made clear that efforts needed to be made to support stability in the region through an improved human rights situation, including increased prosecution of violations, improved dialogue, and better protection for human rights defenders. At Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Human Rights meetings we have urged Russia to demonstrate concrete progress on implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments relating to the region. We support a range of conflict prevention projects in the North Caucasus which focus on positively influencing the security situation in the region, including through tackling impunity and strengthening the capacity of civil society.

Sudan

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 70% of new arrivals to the refugee camps in Eastern Sudan disappear soon after arrival; and whether they have any information about the reasons for the disappearances.

Baroness Northover: The United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that up to 70% of people entering and registering in refugee camps in Eastern Sudan leave shortly afterwards, for a range of reasons.
	UNHCR's assessment is that a high percentage of those leaving the camp do so voluntarily and travel either within or outside of Sudan in search of employment and livelihood opportunities. Some however do become victims of trafficking. This is an issue of deep concern. The UK, together with other donors, has provided support both to awareness raising and protection activities of humanitarian agencies through the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF). The UK remains engaged with this important issue, working closely with the lead agencies, UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Taxation: Capital Gains Tax

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 11 March (WA 38), whether they have revised the methodology set out in the policy costings document published alongside the 2010 Emergency Budget Report, in the light of subsequent receipts.

Lord Deighton: The methodology set out in the policy costings document was based on research which drew on data from a number of years. The data provided information on the impact of changes to capital gains tax over a long period of time. There are no plans to revise this methodology at present.

Trading Standards

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of central government funding made available to support trading standards initiatives in England and Wales in (1) 2009-10, (2) 2010-11, and (3) 2011-12; and what activities that funding has supported.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: My department provided funding to Trading Standards to support regional and national enforcement teams in England and Wales to:
	tackle illegal money lending;provide enforcement against rogue traders operating across local authority boundaries (scambusters);provide a fighting fund to support large and significant cases which were beyond the capacity of individual local authorities; andprovide testing at ports of entry to determine unsafe and counterfeit goods.
	
		
			 The funding was as follows 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Illegal Money Lending £4.69m £4.72m £4.72m 
			 Scambusters £2.25m £2.43m £2.43m 
			 Fighting Fund  £250k £250k 
			 Ports  £150k £150k 
			 Total £5.94m £7.55m £7.55m 
		
	
	In addition, the Government provided £800,00 to Trading Standards for a project to tackle e-consumer protection issues and implement a targeted national and regional projects to detect e-crime.
	From 1 April, as part of the consumer landscape reforms, the Government transferred £9.6 million to a new National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) to enable national leadership and coordination of enforcement activity in England and Wales. The NTSB agreed to keep the teams in place and match previous levels of funding in 2012-13.

Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current trial in Turkey of lawyers and other professionals associated with Abdullah Ocalan, particularly as regards fairness and procedural correctness.

Baroness Warsi: Although the Government have not separately assessed the trial, the EU Delegation in Ankara, representing all EU member states, are continuing to monitor it. The UK plays an integral part in delivering the EU human rights strategy in Turkey and we agreed with and supported the EU's annual progress report on Turkey which covers a wide range of issues, including human rights and the judiciary. We are pleased that the Fourth Judicial Reform Package, which also covers the issue of fair trials, is currently before the Turkish Parliament. Its adoption would help to underpin further respect for basic rights in Turkey, within the framework of the European Human Rights Treaty and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
	The UK works closely with the EU Delegation and other member states to co-ordinate our approach on human rights in Turkey. Our embassy in Ankara runs a number of projects designed to help Turkey with the accession process, including in the field of human rights.

Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether diplomats or lawyers from the United Kingdom, the European Union or the Council of Europe will observe the next day of the trial of lawyers associated with Abdullah Ocalan, scheduled for 28 March.

Baroness Warsi: Although there will be no UK representatives present, the EU Delegation in Ankara, representing all EU member states, will observe the trial on 28 March. The UK plays an integral part in delivering the EU human rights strategy in Turkey and, together with our EU partners, we will continue to urge Turkey to make further progress on the full range of human rights issues, including fair trials.

Weather: Rainfall

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the yearly trend over the past 10 years in peak hourly rainfall rates in millimetres per hour; and to what extent they expect that trend to continue.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: I have asked the Chief Executive Officer of the Met Office to respond direct to the noble Lord.
	Letter from John Hirst, Chief Executive of the Met Office, to Lord Hunt, dated March 2013.
	I am replying on behalf of the Met Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 12 March 2013, HL6205 to Her Majesty's Government.
	The Met Office has not studied peak hourly rainfall rates over the last 10 years, although it is expected that analyses over this length of time would be dominated by natural variability. However, the Met Office has investigated daily rain rates over the past 50 years and preliminary research indicates there has been an increase in the frequency of very wet days over this period. Moreover, there is evidence that increases in greenhouse gases and the subsequent rise in global temperature has increased the severity of short period (up to a day) extreme rainfall for the Northern Hemisphere and that this is expected to continue as the climate warms. Given that 24 hour rainfall totals are expected to increase, we should expect rain rates for shorter periods to increase as well. Recent research1 using high-resolution regional climate model simulations, for example, shows that one-hour precipitation extremes increase at a rate close to 14% per degree of warming in large parts of Europe when mean temperatures exceed 12 degrees C. This finding, however, is subject to further debate within the scientific community.
	I hope this helps.
	1 Geert Lenderink and Erik van Meijgaard (2008), Increase in hourly precipitation extremes beyond expectations from temperature changes, Nature Geoscience 1, 511 - 514 doi:10.1038/ngeo262

Young Offender Institutions: Open Air Exercise

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on Werrington Young Offenders' Institution published on 12 March, what steps they are taking to provide access for young offenders to open air exercise every day.

Lord McNally: A revised core day is currently being introduced in all public sector under-18 YOIs. This will for the first time deliver a standard regime for young people, with an hour being dedicated for domestic activities, such as access to showers and time in the open air. In addition, young people are able to participate in open air exercise as part of evening association, where appropriate. Furthermore, work is under way to upgrade existing and provide additional outside exercise facilities at Werrington. This will further increase the opportunities for young people at Werrington to spend time in the open air.